This invention relates generally to television systems. More particularly, this invention relates to full service television systems that use advanced storage, communications, and processing techniques to provide a variety of television services including audio and audiovisual programming, advanced navigation controls, interactive program guides, Impulse Pay-Per-View activation, Near-Video-On-Demand programming, Video-On-Demand programming, advanced configuration controls, and online services.
With recent advances in storage, communication, and processing technologies, many present-day television systems are becoming antiquated. This is especially true of many cable television systems. Traditional methods of broadcasting television programs and services in such cable television systems suffer from an inability to deliver a high number of high quality television signals on a single coaxial cable. Many existing television systems also cannot provide the advanced television services desired by their subscribers, such as, for example, a comprehensive channel navigator, an interactive program guide, Impulse Pay-Per-view activation, Near-Video-On-Demand programming, Video-On-Demand programming, and advanced configuration controls. Furthermore, most modern television systems have no provisions whatsoever for supplying services such as World Wide Web browsing, Internet E-Mail, and online services.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a full service television system capable of delivering a high number of high quality television signals.
It would also be desirable to provide a full service television system capable of using advanced communication techniques to deliver a high number of high quality television signals.
It would further be desirable to provide a full service television system capable of sustaining two-way communication between a cable service provider and a cable service subscriber.
It would even further be desirable to provide a full service television system capable of delivering advanced television services such as a comprehensive channel navigator, an interactive program guide, Impulse Pay-Per-View activation, Near-Video-On-Demand programming, Video-On-Demand programming, and advanced configuration controls.
It would still further be desirable to provide a full service television system capable of delivering services such as World Wide Web browsing, Internet E-Mail, and online services.